In many respects, the GPF 2/56 set new standards in terms of design at Guido Panerai & Figlio: The casing diameter, now at a stately 60 mm (or 66 mm including the crown-protecting device), made the earlier Panerai watches with their 47 mm casings look small by comparison. This was also the first time a rotating bezel with five-minute increments was used, a luminous reference point at 12 o’clock and three other major indices at 15, 30 and 45 minutes. The inside of the rotating bezel is fixed securely to the casing and caseback with six screws at a distance of 60° on the underside. If the six screws are loosened, it is possible to lift off the caseback, the rotating bezel and the Plexiglas crystal from the watch casing. Unlike earlier Panerai watches, the caseback of the giant GPF 2/56 does not feature a thread but is fixed securely to the casing by the six screws. Compared to the Panerai watches used during the Second World War (bezel and caseback „twisted“ together by their internal thread onto the holding ring of the movement) as well as the watches produced in the 1950’s (bezel pressed onto the casing and caseback with external thread screwed onto the centre of the 47 mm casing).

While the crown-protecting device was a very prominent, almost “superimposed” addition to the Reference 6152/1, and could only be integrated into the Rolex casing to a certain degree as a result of its construction, the GPF 2/56 clearly shows the “completely seamless integration” of the legendary crown-protecting device.

The coffee table shot on the left shows page 1092 – 1093 in chapter IX.I of our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s with a photo of the screwed caseback of a GPF 2/56 (left) and an illustration of the construction of the “kept together by six screws” GPF 2/56 (right). Enjoy reading!